August Air
by CowleyBoo
Summary: Trudy's niece comes to stay at the house over the summer and during her stay she gets close to the Clark siblings, but especially one in particular-the one staying at the house with her. And what is this strange power she has over Victor? JeromexOC


**So I decided to re-write this. **

**This will extend from the summer holidays into Season 2 and just so you know I hate JARA. There is nothing wrong with the character Mara, if HOA was real I'd be her, but I like her with Mick. So this is a JeromeXOC story which means any scenes with "Jara" will be changed. You have been warned-now on with the story! **

**Read&Review. I want to know what you guys think! **

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><p>Quinn was many things, but bitter was not one of them. Okay, so her boyfriend(now ex) had been cheating on her with her best friend (now ex) for four months of their six month relationship. But she was not bitter.<p>

Okay maybe a_ little_ bitter.

With a tired sigh she pauses at the gate of the large house looming over her. It had been years, too many for her liking, since she had last been here. Those summers seemed a distant memory compared to everything that had happened to her since. She just hoped that the place hadn't changed too much.

The summer sun beat down on the bare skin of her pale freckled shoulders, searing it. The main disadvantage of her pale skin was how easily she burnt. She practically just had to step out into the sunshine and then, boom, any exposed skin was burnt. No matter how much suncream she put on she still burnt. Quinn hated it most when her nose burnt, which was practically all the time.

Tucking a sweaty strand of her ginger curls behind her ear she hikes her backpack further up her shoulder and scurries up the gravel path leading to the front porch. The grounds around her are silent and barren with its students away for the summer holidays, something she was more than used to. She had only ever stayed at the Anubis house over the summer whilst all the other students were away, and thats how she preferred it. After climbing the stairs to the front door she doesn't hesitate instead clutches to brass knob and pushes into the ever familiar foyer. Inhailing the smell of dust she sighs contendedly, a smile creeping onto her equally freckled face.

"Aunt Tru?" she shouts into the house's depths "Victor? Hello?"

"Quinn? Is that you dear?" her aunt Trudy bustles into the foyer from the direction of the kitchen, a forgotten teatowel still clutched in her hand. She glances up to spot Victor leaning against the bannister outside his office. Seconds later she is enveloped in a tight hug and lifted off her feet "My goodness look how you've grown!" Trudy mumbles into the mass of Ginger curls.

Victor laughs "not by much if you can still lift her off the floor so easily". He starts to decsend the stairs ignoring the scowl that her aunt was giving him.

"Oh hush you"

Victor turns to smile fondly at Quinn "and you, what have I told you about just walking in here? You need to knock"

Quinn shrugs "When have I ever listened to you Victor?"

"She has you there" her aunt Trudy says through her laughter, using the arm drapped over Quinn's shoulders to give her a squeeze. Turning to smile at her aunt all the hurt she had been harbouring since that horrible day vannished replaced with content. She had no idea just how much she had missed this place. No idea how much she needed it.

"Indeed" Victor folds his hands behind his back "Its good to see you again Quinn, how are your parents?"

She winces "busy as ever, currently on a flight to Cairo to fight it out over a prized artifact uncovered the other day. The Museum wants it really bad. Like really really bad". Both adults nod with understanding. From the age of 7 till 11 she had spent her summers at Anubis house with her Aunt and Victor. The year she had turned 12 her parents had decided that she should start coming with them instead and so all visits to the House stopped. Until this year. Victor had tried to keep his "mean guy" persona when she first came to the house but soon a young Quinn had broken down those walls until he was totally wrapped around her little finger. She loved it. Plus it came in handy.

"And what is going on here then?" all 3 whip around at the sound of the new voice. Quinn notices his messy blonde hair first, then his piercing blue eyes. Its after that she realises that he is acctually a boy her age. A good looking one at that.

Victor's stance stiffens as he falls back into the person everyone expected him to be, or the person everyone knew him to be "Ah Jerome just in time"

"In time for what?" he asks suspiously

"This" Trudy speaks up "is my niece Quinn, shes going to be staying here over the summer just like you". _Just like you_. The words echo in Quinn's mind. This would be the first time that she had ever met a student of the school let alone this house.

"Hi" she replies meekly. His eyes burn a trail as he looks from her green pumps, over her yellow floral pattern dress up to her loose curls.

"Morning" is his simple reply.

"She will only be with us over the holidays before you ask Mr Clark, now if you will excuse me" Victor nods towards Quinn before turning swiftly on his heel and retreats back upstairs to hole himself up in his office.

A tense silence falls upon the 3 that remain. "So, Aunt Tru; where am I bunking?" Quinn says eager to fill the silence.

Her aunt smiles gratefully at her "Right of course, how silly of me to forget". Dropping her arm she turns to face Jerome fully "Could you do me a favour sweetie and take Quinn to Mara and Patricia's bedroom please?" For a moment he stands tall his eyes wide as he stares back at Trudy.

After a few tense seconds pass he nods slowly "Sure" turning to Quinn he adds "keep up with me Red"

"Red?" quizzes Quinn. He doesn't answer instead ploughs on ahead taking the stairs two at a time not once looking back to check if she had followed him. She raises her eyebrow and crosses her arms stubbernly staying put.

He reaches the top before he realises that she was not behind him. He leans over the bannister his mouth a tight line as he stares down at Trudy and Quinn. "Well, are you coming? We don't have all day"

"Acctually I have 6 whole weeks before I have to return to London so I have all the time I need" Quinn shrugs "and by the way I have been here before, granted not for a few years, but still I don't appreciate being treated like a dog. I do have _some_ idea where everything is"

He rolls his eyes "I am_ truly_ sorry Red, am I forgiven?"

Her lips twitch as she fights the urge to smile at his sarcasm "It'll take more than that blondie"

"_Blondie_?" he proclaims

Quinn scoffs "If you get to call me red, you are now Blondie. Problem?" The corners of his mouth twitch as his blue eyes twinkle with respect. She finds herself smiling back, for some reason pleased that she had impressed him.

Forcing the thought away she turns and with a last smile to her aunt before walking over to the stairs and steadily begining to climb them. As she climbs upwards she feels Jerome's gaze follow her every step of the way until she stands next to him on the landing. She doesn't stop there instead as she walks past she shoves her suitcase into his hands "Why thank you Jerome, such a gentleman". She walks away, towards the bedrooms, before he can mutter anything in protest. "Keep up Blondie" she yells over her shoulder completeing her teasing with a wink.

"Oh is that how your going to play it?" he says, his footsteps auidible behind her. She snorts, not caring if its un-ladylike, carrying on forwards. They both stop at the door furthest down the corridor. She turns to Jerome not bothering to hide the smirk on her face as he holds out the suitcase towards her. Taking the handle in her own hand she curtsies to him then turns and pushes into the bedroom closing the door firmly behind her. It is only then that she allows herself to laugh.

Yes, she decides, this will be a very entertaining holiday.


End file.
